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14 SUGAR PRODUCER | FEBRUARY 2022 the uniqueness of each is in the details, the little things that made that expansion possible. For Laracha Farms, curi- osity and a willingness to swim in uncharted waters. "For as long as I can remember," says Char- lie Bauer, "we were the ones who tinkered." Bauer remembers coming home from school as a kid and see- ing 20 single-row beet harvesters in the front yard being prepped for harvest. His father eventually invented a machine that kicked the beets off the end of the harvesters' conveyor belts, eliminating the need for someone to sit at the top and do the job manually. From 1968 to 1984, the family owned an implement business, selling beet harvesters to Michigan growers. And from 1988 to 2008, even while run- ning his own successful farm, Bauer worked as a sales rep for Art's Way Manufacturing, working with fellow growers to develop machinery that would work best on their individual operations. His name is actually one of three on the patent for Art's Way's 6812 sugarbeet harvester. "It worked both ways, as many things do," Bauer says. "The farm background helped the equipment business, and being in the beet equipment business helped the farm. It's just like working in any field: gaining knowledge is always good." Bauer points to three major leaps Laracha Farms has made over Charlie Bauer takes a look behind his harvester while harvesting sugarbeets. Charlie Bauer, right, and his son Adam take a break from harvesting sugarbeets in November 2021.